Inner shoe for ski-boots

Abstract: In an inner shoe (10) for ski-boots comprising a sole (18) and an upper (16) which includes a padding (24) enclosed in an inner (26) and outer (28) lining, the shoe (10) is of the rear-entry type whereby it has a rear opening (20) extending from the top end (22) of the upper (16) up to the sole area and the shoe has not the usual front opening which can be covered by a tongue.

Description: The present invention relates to an inner shoe for ski-boots of the type comprising a sole and an upper which includes a padding enclosed in a inner and outer lining. The shoe type of the present invention must meet two requirements which are partially opposite each other and also related to the features and type of the outer casing (shell and boot leg) of the ski-boot. The shoe must allow an easy entry of the foot. The shoe must wrap the foot as tightly as possible so as to transmit with the greatest possible accuracy the movements which start from the skier's leg and foot and which through the shoe and casing reach the ski. The shoe must maintain the comfort degree necessary to make the sports activity more pleasant. The shoes made until now are of two types, namely of the front and rear-entry type. In the first case, the front-entry shoe has a front opening with flaps which can be opened wide apart and this opening can be closed by a tongue provided underneath. In this well-known embodiment, although elastic and/or padded inserting members have been utilized, the shoe with a front-entry shell may be put on with difficulty. In the second case, the rear-entry shoe has an opening, for the entry of the foot, extending from the heel portion up to the top of the shin and closed on the rear part by a padded spoiler extending from the heel area up to the front part below the calf. In this way, it is easy to put on the shoe but it is impossibe to change the volume of the shoe at the front part during the tightening by the fastening mechanisms. EP-A-0 308 368 discloses an inner shoe for ski-boots of the type comprising a sole and an upper which includes a padding enclosed (between) an inner and outer lining, wherein said shoe is of the rear entry type whereby it has a rear opening extending perpendicular to the sole starting from the top end of the upper up to near the sole area. Another problem of the rear-entry shoe lies in the fact that the shoe tends to come out from the shell when the foot is removed. The aim of the present invention is then to carry out an inner shoe for ski-boots which solves the above-mentioned problems and advantages and in particular, allows an easy entry of the foot and has an high degree of flexibility so as to overcome the drawbacks explained with reference to the cited prior art. This aim is reached by an inner shoe of the indicated type having the features of claim 1. With reference to the preferred embodiment of the invention, a strap is attached to the ski-boot at the rear opening of the shoe, said strap projecting upwards and being elastically stressed towards the inside of the shell so as to engage the shoe hindering the removal of the shoe from the shell, said strap being able to bend elastically outwards so as to release said shoe. A first advantage of the shoe according to this invention lies in the fact that during the critical moment, wherein the foot is put into the shoe until the heel reaches its housing seat formed in the shoe, the latter loses its shape at the portion corresponding to the instep facilitating the entry of the foot. In fact, the slits made in the upper allow the shoe to lose its shape above all at the portion corresponding to the instep. Another advantage is achieved owing to the capability of the shoe to lose its shape easily during the tightening of the ski-boot whereby the shoe does not hinder the reduction of volume caused by the tightening operation but, on the contrary, the shoe fits to the final shape of the ski-boot allowing a better transmission of the orders given by the leg to the ski. Another advantage derives from the fact that the shoe follows also exactly the strains which occurs in the ski-boot during the skiing activity making the latter more comfortable. Another advantage further results from the elastic strap for locking the shoe which may be released and then easily removed by a simple outward bending of the strap namely in the direction that moves the same away from the adjacent surface of the shoe. According to a particular carrying out of the invention, the shoe has slits or side portions of reduced thickness on the upper which increase the flexibility thereof and then the above-mentioned advantages. The invention will be illustrated with reference to the enclosed drawings which illustrate an embodiment given as a non-limiting example. In the drawings: figure 1 is a longitudinal view of a rear-entry inner shoe according to the invention; figure 2 is a partial cross-section of figure 1 taken along plane II-II of figure 1; figure 3 is a cross-section along plane III-III of figure 1; figure 4 is an enlarged view of a particular of figure 3; figure 5 is a partially cross-sectioned schematic view of the ski-boot shell and of the shoe elastically anchored to the shell; figures 6 and 7 are views similar to figure 5 which show two successive positions illustrating, respectively, the removal of the foot and shoe from the shell; figure 8 is a schematic side view of a first modified embodiment of an inner shoe according to this invention; figures 9 and 10 are schematic partial views of an inner shoe according to a second modified embodiment, the shoe being represented anchored to and released from the shell respectively; figures 11 and 12 are schematic front sections of an inner shoe according to a third modified embodiment, the shoe being represented anchored to and released from the shell respectively; figures 13 and 14 are schematic side sections of an inner shoe according to a fourth modified embodiment, the shoe being represented anchored to and released from the shell respectively; figures 15 and 16 are schematic side sections of an inner shoe according to a fifth modified embodiment, the shoe being represented anchored to and released from the shell respectively; figures 17 and 18 are schematic side sections of an inner shoe according to a sixth modified embodiment, the shoe being represented anchored to and released from the shell respectively. Figure 1 shows an inner shoe for ski-boots, indicated by reference 10 on the whole, having a toe portion 12 and a heel portion 14, longitudinally opposite each other. The inner shoe 10, comprising an upper 16 and a sole 18, is of the rear-entry type whereby it has a rear opening 20 perpendicular to the sole 18 and extending from the top end 22 of the upper 16 up near the sole 18. In particular, as can be seen from figures 3 and 4, in order to make more comfortable the fit of the shoe, the upper 16 comprises a padding 24 enclosed between two linings: an elastic inner one and a protective outer one respectively indicated by references 26 and 28. The padding 24 has two front slits symmetrically arranged with respect to the middle plane of the shoe, at the area corresponding to the instep, the slits are made in the padding and radially arranged with respect to the camber of the surface of the adjacent foot; references 30 and 32 indicate the inner and the outer slit respectively. Furthermore the padding 24 is not provided with the elastic outer lining in the rectangular area comprised between the two outer slits 32 and, in order to cover this area, an elastic covering 34 is provided. Finally, as can be seen from figures 1 and 2, the inner shoe, at the portion corresponding to the ankle, has two slits 36 and 38 on both sides with respect to the longitudinal plane of the ski-boot, the slits, made in the protective outer lining 28, are substantially circular, concentric each other and extending towards the toe portion 12. It is evident that the rear opening 20 allows the entry of the foot into the shoe 10, the entry being facilitated because the front slits 30,32 and side slits 36,38 of the shoe increase its flexibility allowing the shoe to lose its shape easily and to house the foot in a more comfortable way. Moreover, having the shoe an high degree of flexibility, it easily adapts to the deformations of the ski-boot which occur during the tightening thereof and the skiing activity allowing to obtain a good transmission of the orders from the leg to the ski and a considerably comfort for the foot. In figure 5 the shoe 10 of figure 1 is shown inserted inside the shell 40 (which is shown by a partial and very schematic cross-section) of the ski-boot whereas reference 42 indicates the skier's foot. The rear opening 20 of the shoe is defined, towards the heel portion, by a tongue 44 (clearly visible also in figure 1) and, in particular, the tongue ends with an edge 46 joined to the body of the tongue by a curved portion 48. Furthermore, the shell has a strap 50 which is approximately shaped as a bridge or semi-slot, the ends of which are anchored at 52 to the two adjacent sides of the shell. The strap 50 is of plastic material having their points of connection to the shell allowing considerable elasticity and flexibility. As it clearly appears from figure 5, when the shoe 10 is put into the shell 40, the tongue 44 engages the strap 50 so that the edge 46 crosses (owing to the intrinsic elasticity) the opening formed by the strap thus locking the shoe to the shell. Preferably, in the body of the tongue 44 a slit 54 is formed, for example formed and reinforced by seams and quilting operations, the function of which is to ensure that the shoe remains in the shell when the foot is removed from the ski-boot. This situation is better illustrated in figure 6 from which it can be appreciated that during the removal of the foot 42, the shoe 10 rises to the extent which is permitted by the depth of the slit 54 facilitating still further the removal of the foot from the shell and boot leg (not shown). When the removal of the shoe 10 from the shell 40 is required, it is sufficient (as represented in figure 7) to operate the strap 50 bending it elastically outwards to such an extent that the strap overlaps the edge 46 of the tongue 44 whereby the shoe 10 may be easily removed from the shell 40. A standard shoe 60 is schematically shown in figure 8 wherein the present invention has been used, a shoe which is provided with a front tongue 62 and which may be of the type described in Italian patent No. 1.223.382 and in patent application for industrial invention No. 20546 A/90 of the same applicant. In this case the shoe 60 has a body or upper lowered in its rear part, namely having the same shape of the shoe 10 of figure 1 or figure 5, whereas reference 64 indicates a padded spoiler which is integral to the boot leg and the sides of the spoiler are obviously hinged to the two sides of the ski-boot shell. In figure 8 said spoiler is shown in the situation wherein the boot leg is opened for the entry or the pulling out of the foot. It is important to note that the spoiler 64 is completely indipendent with respect to the shoe 60; therefore, the advantages of the standard front-entry shoes are kept and at the same time the advantages of the shoe of the present invention are added. Figures 9 and 10 show an inner shoe 10 in which a horizontal slot 66 is formed in the rear part of the shoe whereas the shell 40, on the opposite side, is provided with a projecting pin 68 engaging in the slot 66. The end of the pin 68 is provided with a rotating arm 69 which hinders the removal of the inner shoe 10 from the shell 40 when it is vertically arranged (figure 9) whereas it allows the removal of the inner shoe when it is horizontally arranged (figure 10). Figures 11 and 12 show an inner shoe 10 provided with a hook 70 on its lower part and this hook is suitable to be inserted, through an opening 72 made in the bottom of the shell 40, into a housing or seating 74 formed below the bottom of the shell 40. Inside the seating 74 is slidable housed a member 76 having a first hook-shaped end 76a suitable for hooking the hook 70 of the inner shoe 10. A spring 78 is interposed between the hook-shaped end 76a of the member 76 and the wall of seating 74 facing the member 76 and this spring has the function of maintaining the member 76 engaged with the hook 70 of the inner shoe 10, as illustrated in figure 11. If the removal of the inner shoe 10 from the shell 40 is required, it is sufficient to push the member 76, by a tool 77 inserted through an opening 80 made in the portion of the shell 40 facing the second end 76b of the member 76, overcoming the resistance of the spring 78 (figure 12). In such a way the hook-shaped end 76a of the member 76 is released from the hook 70 of the inner shoe 10 permitting the removal of the inner shoe 10 from the shell 40. Figures 13 and 14 illustrates an inner shoe 10 provided with a rear protrusion 80 suitable to engage into a cavity 82 formed inside the shell 40. In order to released the inner shoe 10, beginning from the position wherein the same is engaged with to the shell 40 (figure 13), it is sufficient to push on the rear part of the inner shoe, as indicated by arrow P in figure 14, withdrawing the protrusion 80 from the cavity 82 and, finally, to remove the inner shoe 10 from the shell 40. Figures 15 and 16 illustrate an inner shoe similar to the one illustrated in figures 13 and 14 respectively wherein the inner shoe 10 has a cavity 84 whereas the shell 40 is provided with a corresponding protrusion 86. Figures 17 and 18 illustrate an inner shoe 10 having an outer rear profile forming a step 88 which is suitable for being engaged, on its upper part, with the end 90a of a tongue 90 projecting from the shell 40 (figure 17). In order to remove the inner shoe from the shell 40, it is necessary to press onto the tongue 90 (see arrow P of figure 18) or on the rear part of the inner shoe 10 thus releasing the end 90a of the tongue 90 from the step-shaped profile of the inner shoe 10.

Claims: Inner shoe for rear entry ski-boots, said inner shoe comprising a sole (18) and an upper (16), a padding (24) being enclosed between an inner lining (26) and an outer lining (28), a rear opening (20) extending from the top end (22) of the upper (16) to near the sole area and perpendicularly to the sole (18), characterized in that said padding (24) and one of said linings (26, 28) have at least one slit (30, 32) provided in the front part of the inner shoe at the area corresponding to the wearer's instep, the other of said linings (26, 28) being elastic and spanning an otherwise open end of said at least one slit (30, 32) so as to extend across the said end of the slit (30, 32). Inner shoe according to claim 1, characterized in that said elastic lining is the inner lining (26), said at least one slit (30, 32), made in the thickness of said padding, has a closed path inside which said padding (24) is not provided with said outer lining (28) at the end of said at least one slit opposite to said end covered by said inner elastic lining (26), said upper (16) comprising an elastic inserting member (34) covering said slit end where said outer lining (28) is not provided. Inner shoe according to claim 2, characterized in that said closed path of said at least one slit (30, 32) has a substantially rectangular shape having the longer sides longitudinally arranged. Inner shoe according to claim 2, characterized by comprising two slits (30, 32) concentric to each other, said elastic inserting member (34) externally covering the portion of the padding (24) lying within the area defined by the outermost slit (32), and thus the ends of the slits (30, 32) opposite to those covered by said elastic lining (26). Inner shoe according to claim 1, characterized in that said outer lining (28) on each of the two side portions with respect to the longitudinal plane of the shoe is provided with at least one lateral slit (36, 38). Inner shoe according to claim 5, characterized in that each of said at least one lateral slit (36, 38) has an elongated loop shape, the elongation extending lenghtwise of the inner shoe towards the toe area (12) of the inner shoe. Inner shoe according to claim 5, characterized in that there are two of said lateral slits (36, 38) which are concentric to each other.

Inventors: MAREGA ANTONELLO, SARTOR MARIO, MAREGA, ANTONELLO, SARTOR, MARIO
Applicants: TECNICA SPA, TECNICA S.P.A
Application year: 1994
Main classification: A43B5
IPC codes: A43B5